So here I am, on a week-long practicum in the music room at the K-12 Unalakleet School in the Bering Strait School District (BSSD); and I am so grateful to be here. I think I have found myself.
I hopped off the plane with a backpack and violin in hand, and without knowing where I was going I walked straight to next building where I was greeted by a smiling face.
"I'm a teacher visiting the music program here"
"You're in the right place!"
Throughout the week, I got the chance to observe and/or teach each of the classes in the K-12 school of about 120 students. The local music teacher, a 6 year resident, recognizes that Unalakleet is a very intrinsically musical and artistic community. He also ensures that the music program is both performance based and student driven. What I mean by that is, the program is intensive; it is about empowering students to make their own musical and rehearsal choices while providing them with the skills they need to take music as far as they would like in life. In fact one of the Unalakleet choir members performed the National Anthem at a state basketball championship.
My biggest highlight was teaching folk songs and dance to these cutie pies:
"Wow, this looks exactly like the American Ninja Warrior course!"
It turned out to be exactly that because Unalakleet has an athlete who competed on the American Ninja Warrior and continues to train to compete again. Let me tell you, that course is way harder that it looks!